Cup holding and dispensing device



Feb. 19, 1929.

W. A. RlNGLER CUP HOLDING AND DISPENSING DEVICE Filed .Nov. 25, 1924 INVENTOR. William A. Rwy/er BY v-VV A TTORNEYJ'.

Patented Feb. 19, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM A. RINGLER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO INDIVID- UAL DRINKING CUP COMPANY, INC., 01' EASTON, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

CUP HOLDING AND DISPENSING DEVICE.

Application filed November 25, 1924. Serial No. 752,106.

This invention relates to cup holders and dispensers, by means of which the cups will be encased until used and then dispensed one at a time.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved holder and dispensing device in which the dispensing of the cups may be accomplished by sim le movements; with which the cups will a ways be dispensed singly; with which accidental dropping of the cups after being released from the supply stack is prevented; and which may utilize the cartons in which the cups are marketed as a part of the encasing means.

A further object is to rovide an improved holding and dis ensing evice for cups which may be made 0 stamped sheet metal; which may be packed and shipped as stamped blanks in a substantially flat condition, and then folded when needed to form the completed device which may be given an attractive and ornamental appearance; and which will beconvenient, durable, simple, and relatively inexpensive.

Various other objects and advantages Wlll appear from the following description of an embodiment of the invention and the novel features will be particularly pointed out hereinafter in claims.

Fig. 1 is a perspective of a holding and dispensing device constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same supported in operative position;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the same;

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan of the same with the section taken directly above the abutments;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional elevation similar to Fig. 3, but showing an intermediate step in the disengagement of a cup from the stack; and

Fig. 6 is a plan of a stamped blank before it is folded to form the tubular container.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, a blank 1 of sheet bendable material, such as sheet metal, is cut to a desired shape, and weakened along lines 2, 3, 4 and 5 between opposite edges, so as to divide the strip or blank into sections a, b, a, d, and e, the sections 6, 0, (Z and 0 being of equal size and the section a relatively small. The section a is adapted to form the back wall of the device,

and is provided with apertures 6 adjacent its corners through which attaching means, such as screws, may be passed to secure the dispensing device to a vertical support, and the section a, which is adapted to overlap with the free side edge of the section e when the blank is folded upon the weakened lines, is also pro vided with apertures 7 adjacent its ends which move into alignment with the apertures 6 when the section a is folded over flat against the section e.

The sections 0 and d are provided at their lower ends with cut out tongues 8 which taper from the lower edge of the blank toward their lines of connection to the body of these sections which would be the inner ends of the tongues. The free end edges of these ton es are flanged away from the outer face 0 the blank, as at 9, and the flanged edges 9 are made concavely arcuate, with the same radiusof curvature, this curvature extending from the flanged edge of each tongue to a point intermediate the ends of that tongue, for a purpose which will appear presentl The sections 6, c and d at their upper en s are preferably beveled slightly, as at 10, projecting away from the same face that the flanges 9 extend from, for a purpose to appear presently. These blanks may be packed and shipped 1n unbent and superposed relation, with the tongues 8 nesting with one another, so that a large number of the stamped blanks may be shipped together in substantially flat condition and folded or bent into the desired tubular shape at their destination.

When one desires to complete the holder and dispensing device, a. blank prepared in the manner above described is folded or bent along the weakened lines 2, 3, 4 and 5 into a tubular casing having the shape of a parallelopiped, with the section a overlap ing the free side edge of the section e. ecurin screws (see Fig. 2) may then be pass through the apertures 6 and 7 to secure the holder to a supporting surface, the screws which pass through the apertures 6 and 7 of both walls serving to secure the blank in tubular condition as well as to the supporting surface. The folding or bending upon the lines 2, 3, 4 and 5 is made in directions to bring the flanges 9 and 10'upon the outside of the casing, and after the latter has been formed, the tongues 8 are folded inwardly and upwardly into the interior of the casing the flanges 9 then form ledges extending toward one another upon which rests the flange 11 of the lowermost cup 12 of a supply stack of the cups.

A parallelopiped-shaped carton 13, such as the usual cardboard carton, in which the cups are commonly marketed, is inserted at its open lower end into the upper end of the parallelopiped. The flanges 10, which form slight outward bevels of the casing, assist somewhat in guiding the open end of the carton into the casing. The carton descends into the casing until the edges at its open end rest upon the bases of the upturned tongues, as shown in Figs. 3 to 5. The cups 12, which are in nested relation with one another, in the carton descend into the casing while remaining in upright positions, and the flange 11 of the lowermost cup of the stack rests upon the abutment flanges 9 of the tongues, thus forming a support for all of the cups. The notches or openings 14 in the sections 6 and (Z. formed by the cutting out and bending of the tongues 8, serve as openings through which, and the open bottom of the casing, the depending end of the lowermost cup may be grasped when one is to be removed. The

tongues are bent angularly intermediate their ends, the surfaces of the tongues which face one another, from the angular bends to the flanges, converging toward one another downwardly from the flanges 9, and then they diverge relatively to one another toward their lines of connection to the body of the casing.

To remove a cup, it is merely necessary to grasp the lower end of the lowermost cup and tilt or rock it laterally in a direction between the abutments to withdraw the flange from one of the abutments or tongues, as shown in Fig. 5, and then to rock it in the opposite direction to remove the cup flange from the flange 9 of the other abutment or tongue, as shown in Fig. 3. When the lower end of the lowermost cup is rocked laterally in this manner. the cup, which is usually of paper, will be compressed or made somewhat elliptical temporarily at its flanged edge, which allows disengagement of such flanged edge from one ofthe abutmentsor tongue, and the same action takes place when the cup is rocked in the opposite direction to disengage its flange from the other abutment or tongue. The flange of the cup thus disengaged from the abutments or flanges 9, is caught and held by the converging walls of the tongues. as shown in Fig. 3. in which condition it will be held until a downward force is applied thereto to remove it from the tongues. When a cup that is held intermediate the ends of the tongues 8, is pulled downwardly as just explained, the open or flanged end of the cup will be compressed slightly between the tongues into a temporary somewhat ellipti-.

cal shape until it is disengaged completely from the tongues, and only a sli ht downward pull is required in order to e ect a complete disengagement of the cup.

When the lowermost on J has been disengaged from the flanges, 9, t 1e cup next above wi l descend until its flange rests upon the abutments or flanges 9 of the tongues. 7 This descent of the cups occurs progressively as the lowermost cups are removed. By supporting each cup between the tongues after eing disengaged, from the abutments or flanges 9 of the tongues, the likelihood of accidental dropping of a cup thus disengaged is cups will be protected in a sanitary manner within the original carton until they are removed by the user in the manner explained.

I Any suitable bendable sheet metal or matc- I rlal, such as the metal of which sheet metal toys are commonly made, may be utilizedas the material of the blanks, and such blanks may be ornamented by, photo-lithography so as to present an attractive appearance and carry desired operating directions or advertising matter. If desired, the casing may be given sufficient length to completely enclose or conceal the carton 13, or the cartons may be given a. more attractive appearance and used as illustrated. The weakened lines 2, 3, 4 and 5 to facilitate the bending of the blanks in forming the casings, may be formed in any desired manner such as by cutting aligned elongated narrow slots with suitable dies.

It will be obvious that various changes in the details and materials, which have been herein described and illustrated for the purpose of explaining the nature of the invention, may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention, as expressed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a cup holding and dispensing device, a casing of sheet material having tongues struck inwardly from opposite walls and flanged at their free ends in a direction transversely of the casing, to provide opposed abutments between which a stack of nested cups may descend with the peripheral flange of the lowermost cup resting upon and supported by the opposed abutments, whereby the lowermost cup. may be removed from the stack by rocking its lower end first laterally toward one abutment to clear the cup flange from the opposite abutment, and then in a reverse direction to disengage the flange from the first abutment, the remainder of the stack of cups then descending automatically upon the abutments.

2. In a cup holding and dispensing device, a sheet metal casing having tongues struck from opposite walls thereof, bent inwardly and upwardly back u on the walls from which they are struck, the upper free ends of the tongues being flanged toward one another to provide opposing abutments between which a stack of nested cups ma descend with the peripheral flange of the owermost cup resting u on and supported by the abutments, where y the lowermost cup ma always he removed from the stack by roc ring its lower end toward one wall from which a tongue is cut to disengage the flange of the cup from the ton ue of the other wall, and then in a reverse direction to completely disengage the flange from the tongue upon the first mentioned wall.

3. In a cup holding and dispensing device,

a sheet metal casing havin tongues struck from opposite walls thereo bent inwardly and upwardly, back 11 on the walls from which they are struck, t e u per ends of the tongues being flanged towar one another to provide opposing primary abutments between which a stack of nested cups may descend, with the peripheral flange of the lowermost cup resting upon the abutments, whereby the lowermost cup may always beremoved by rocking its lower end toward one wall from which a tongue is cut to disengage the flan 'e of the cup from the tongue of the other we 1, and then in a reverse direction to completely disengage the flange from the tongue upon the first mentioned wall, the tongues havmg secondary supporting surfaces below the primary supportmg abutments for individually supporting each cup as it is disengaged from the stack.

4. In a cup dispensing device, a sheet metal casing havin walls thereo bent inwardly an upwardly into the interior of the casing, the free ends of the ton ues being flanged toward one another to provide abutments in a plane transverse to the casing, the abutments serving to support the flange of the lowermost cup of a stack of nested cups which descends between the abutments, the flanged ends of the tongues being made arcuate about a common center tongues struck from op osite an wardly into the interior of the casing, t e' free ends of the tongues being flanged toward one another to provide abutments in a plane transverse to the casing, the abutments serving to support the flange of the lowermost cup of a stack of nested cups which descends between the abutments, the flan ed ends of the tongues being made arcuate a out a common center of curvature to partially embrace the periphery of the lowermost cup of the stack ad acent the cup flange, the ton es-intermediate their ends being downwar ly convergent for a distance to provide a restriction yieldingly sup orting each disengaged cup to prevent accidental dropping of the same.

6. In a cup holding and dispensing device, a sheet metal casing having tongues struck from opposite walls thereof and bent inwardly and upwardly, back 11 on thecwalls from which they are struck, tie upper ends of the tongues being flanged toward one another to rovide opposing abutments between whic a stack of nested cups may descend with the peripheral flan e of the lowermost cu resting upon the a utments, wherebythe lbwermost cup may always removed by rocking the lower end thereof toward one wall from which a tongue is cut to disengage the flange of the cup from the tongue of the other wall, and then in a reverse direction to completely disengage the flange from the tongue upon the first mentioned wall, the tongues below the flanges having converging surfaces for yieldingly wedging the flanges of each disengaged cup to prevent accidental dropping of the latter when disengaged from the stack.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my signature.

WILLIAM A. RINGLER.

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